Stones is a great footballer but not yet a great defender. Will Pep make him into one? Not sure myself.
I agree. He's a fine athlete. He has the necessary skill set. He needs to be playing at the top level and learning from nights like last night. If Guardiola can't bring him on, nobody can.
As someone who watching him closely for a few years, I'm not so sure Pep is the man to improve him in the areas he's weak. He's got the ball skills, bags of natural ability, he's quick and as you say a fine athlete. BUT, he's often beaten in the air from set pieces, he's often not strong enough when it really matters, and he lacks the 'though shall not pass' attitude of a top CB imo. Whilst the move to City was great for him, he needs work in the less glamorous aspects of being a top CB and he'd arguably get better coaching in those aspects from an old skool ale house ex CB manager.
You've seen far more of him, mate, so fair enough. From what I've seen, his decision making needs to improve. He needs to know that sometimes row Z is the best place to put the ball, not tart around with it. Our own Centre backs compliment each other. Vertonghen is more the Stones type, whereas Toby takes care of most of the aerial stuff. I could see Stones in that kind of partnership.
That's how an ideal centre back pairing should work, and the strikers if you have 2 up top, it's great if you can get 2 that are both, but rare.
That's probably because they're all over on the "Chris Smalling Appreciation" thread talking about his farcical mistake yesterday at the bridge.
There's not enough airtime to cover all of United's defensive shambles. Smalling made him look like Beckenbauer.
Yeah sorry Matth. Smalling was class as was the whole United team. I just can't take what a good side you are right now and the only reason we aren't all discussing Stones is an an-United agenda, you complete lemon. Smalling autocorrected to 'stalling' which is quite apt.
